


Nemo Nisi Mors

by Chicory



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 01:50:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1726727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chicory/pseuds/Chicory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin proposes to Arthur. It would help if Arthur wasn't such a twat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nemo Nisi Mors

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, I have no idea how these rating systems work. But this contains suggestive language and cussing so I figured it isn't entirely general audiences.
> 
> I actually have three other fics I should be writing (because I hate myself, obviously) but then I wrote this little piece of pointless fluff instead.
> 
> The title is from a tapestry/painting from the Castle of Turku. And all the thanks go to lovely Cerch who read this over for me and gave it green light <3 (And I'm so sorry, I had to leave a few sentences as they were!)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters nor Merlin. I do own this little drabble and all the mistakes herewithin, however. Also, I haven't actually ever kissed anyone so I'm not too sure about the logistics of it and imagination only takes you so far, I think. So if the kissing scene is totally weird, then please tell me! I'll try to change it.

"I am shocked," Arthur said, far too gleefully, after long seconds of stunned silence, "at your sheer audacity. Shocked and appalled! I have standards, you know."

He really was a complete tosser, and Merlin was already starting to forget why he was doing this, the reason growing hazier and hazier by the second. Will must have been right, he _was_ out of his mind.

Merlin raised his eyebrows. "Is that a yes then?"

He had gone down on his knee for this, because seeing Merlin on his knees always cheered Arthur, whether he sucked him off or just in general. Merlin had thought it would make Arthur more receptive to his proposal, but his knee was really hurting now. Hardwood floors weren't exactly comfortable for this sort of thing.

Merlin wasn't really sure what it was with Arthur and his aversion to marriage, but from several drunken conversations he had gathered it had something to do with Uther and various horrible trolls, also known as step-mothers. But Merlin wasn't going to brush off decades of fighting for equal marriage rights just to say, "Oh no, I'm in a mutually happy cohabitation! Marriage is nothing but an institution!"

He knew Arthur's answer to that would be, "It's not like you did anything to contribute to this fight," because he was a twat. "Besides, traditionally marriage was nothing but a contract. A contract that lasted till _death_. You find that romantic?" A twat twattery _twat_.

Merlin had the bloody right to marry the person he loved—well, tolerated on a daily basis—and he was going to take it whether Arthur wanted it or not. It would help immensely, though, if he agreed. Merlin didn't think they would look it kindly in the register office if the other groom was dragged in there by the scruff of his neck.

Arthur smiled, crooked. Merlin was glad he was already down because that smile had never failed to make his legs go a bit weak. It was appalling what he was willing to do for that stupid smile. "Yes, Merlin," Arthur drawled. "That's a yes."

"Oh thank god," said Merlin, and stood up. He rubbed at his knee and shook his leg a little. "You have no idea how uncomfortable that was."

Arthur made an offended noise, and sounded a bit like a goose. An _adorable_ goose. "Nonsense! I've done it several times for you! Like that time in the shower!"

Merlin could feel his ears heat at that, and want stirred deep down in his gut. "Right," he said, a bit distracted, lost in the recollection of memories. "That was nice."

Arthur glared at him. "It was more than bloody nice, is what it was." Then he snatched the shiny paper box from Merlin's hand. "Now stop ruining the moment."

"We were having a moment?"

Sighing like Merlin was the very bane of his gilded, over-privileged life, Arthur said, "Clearly not, because you are rubbish at everything. Even at proposing. Tell me, why am I not surprised. And really, Merlin? An origami box?"

"I didn't have any money left for those fancy velvet boxes!" Merlin protested. "Besides, folded that myself, I did. Took a lot of effort too."

"Yes, your skills at folding pieces of paper are unparalleled," said Arthur with a dismissive wave of his hand as if he was swatting at an irritating mosquito. Merlin was sure he should take offense at that, but honestly, if he took offense at everything Arthur said or did, they would never get anywhere in their relationship. "You are the king of dexterous fingers."

"Uh huh," Merlin said, a hint of a smirk ghosting over his mouth, because Arthur had walked right into that one. "You should know."

It was Arthur's turn to flush, the rosy colour highlighting the glow of his skin and the fairness of his hair. His lashes fluttered down, briefly, and his mouth softened. It kicked Merlin deep in his belly, and then purloined off with all of the breath in his lungs, even after all these years. He really kind of wanted to take this to the celebration part of things. Preferably in the shower again. He was sure he had earned it after all the trouble he had gone through; picking Arthur an appropriate, _expensive_ ring and folding the _very beautiful_ origami box and going down on his knee just to propose. He was sure he was going to have rheumatism, he was.

Merlin took a step closer to move things in this desirable direction, but Arthur neatly took a step back without even glancing at him. Merlin scowled, because Arthur was being an utter wanker, but Arthur blatantly ignored him. He was staring down at the plain, broad white gold ring. A golden infinity was engraved around it in a continuous loop, and inside were the words, _nemo nisi mors_.

Nothing but death.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Merlin cleared his throat. Maybe it had been a tad too sappy. Arthur didn't like sappy things because he seemed to think of himself as a manful man of manliness. Merlin just thought he was a repressed ass with a shitton of issues, and really, Merlin should be elevated to sainthood for putting up with him.

His sufferings should be recorded for posterity!

Arthur took the ring from the box, twirled it once while he carefully put the box on top of a nearby dresser, and then he tentatively slid the ring on his finger. Seeing that did funny things to Merlin; his limbs went sort of numb with a buoyant tingle as if he was drifting in the sky.

"Really, Merlin," Arthur said, his expression dangerously fond. Affection laced all the way through his words like threads of sunlight. He glanced at Merlin from the corner of his eyes, the shape of his mouth sly. Merlin could feel a precarious tremble in his belly, and his legs went a bit weak. "Did you honestly think there was any chance I'd say no?"

"Uh," said Merlin, almost all of his higher brain function drained down. "Well. I just never know with you. Just last week you threw me out of the flat." He'd had to crash at Gwaine's, and that wasn't an experience Merlin was in a hurry to repeat.

"That was because you were being insolent." Arthur stepped close, ran his hand up Merlin's shoulder to the nape of his neck. He stroked his thumb back and forth, absently, every now and then brushing the ends of Merlin's hair. A minute shiver coruscated down Merlin's spine.

"Um..." Arthur was really close, his eyes wide and cornflower blue, and Merlin could see the faint sun-freckles over the bridge of his nose. "You think I'm being insolent every other sentence."

"That's because you are," Arthur said cheerfully. He kissed the right corner of Merlin's mouth, then dragged his lips to the left corner and kissed that as well. He hummed, low in his throat.

"'s not—'s not my fault you are a bloody princess with exacting tastes," Merlin mumbled between one kiss and another. His hands sneaked beneath Arthur's shirt, the small of his back warm and smooth, and then he edged the tips of his fingers snugly into the waistband of his jeans.

"Says the bloody girl of this relationship," said Arthur, with a breathless laugh, and Merlin could feel the curve of his grin against his mouth. He was quick to wipe it off; he sucked on Arthur's bottom lip, slow and sweet, then kissed his upper lip, flicking it with the tip of his tongue when he pulled back a bit.

He was pleased to note Arthur's slightly dazed if unsatisfied expression. He frowned at Merlin in a clear demand to get on with it. "So," Merlin said, and Arthur raised a humouring eyebrow. "Are we in a happy mutual lesbian relationship then?"

"I don't think that's politically correct," Arthur said, with a lofty lift of his chin.

Merlin grinned. "Like you have ever cared about political correctness."

"Of course I have, I am the son of an ambassador. Your words are nothing but slander and I should sue you."

Merlin remained undaunted in the face of this threat. The way Arthur kept smoothing his hair, completely unaware, didn't give it much credence. "Could you wait a few months then? Your ring really was expensive, you k—"

Arthur rolled his eyes and pushed Merlin onto the couch, straddling him by the hips. It wasn't in the shower but Merlin was strangely okay with this.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
